


Silver

by rocknrolleigns (simpleandpure22)



Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Artistic Liberties, Character Death, Dubious Consent, M/M, Nobody is a saint, Obsession
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-01
Updated: 2019-05-09
Packaged: 2019-05-16 22:42:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14820299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/simpleandpure22/pseuds/rocknrolleigns
Summary: Werewolves can't be trusted, that’s what Seth always believes. But suddenly he got caught in the middle of two packs’ rivalry, and his world is about to be turned upside down.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> A new fic! :D 
> 
> You know me, it's not gonna be a usual alpha/beta/omega universe. xD Instead I want to explore a human in the middle of the wolves. It's not gonna be too long, I reckon six or seven chapters. Definitely not longer than ten. I try to stick to the basic werewolf mythology, but some things will be made up to fit the story purpose. 
> 
> I hope you'll enjoy the ride. :)

When Roman was little he loved pack meetings. In his simple, innocent mind it meant a lot of people in the house, some of whom he didn’t see often; like his uncles, cousins, all the familiar faces. Sometimes he would sneak in and hide under the table for the whole meeting, just to feel involved. And although they all could smell him, they’d never sent him away.

But as he grew older he realized that a whole pack meeting isn’t a good thing, most of the time. It means something has gone wrong, or even something worse. Like death. Old clans like them have made plenty of enemies over the years. Once, they were the most powerful pack not only in Whitedrift but the whole Dimrock Valley. Now they’re nowhere near what they used to be, and death isn’t the only reason why.

“Where’s Naomi?” Roman turns to Jimmy, who’s sitting across the room.

Guilt etches on Jimmy’s face, even more so than usual when the subject about his wife is brought up. “She, uh, can't leave a patient tonight.” He almost flinches under the scrutinizing stare of the other pack members. “You know they’re short of nurses.”

“That’s not our problem,” Roman says firmly. “She needs to learn that the pack _always_ comes first.”

He doesn’t need to turn to his dad to know that he’s having that disapproving look on his face. As the old alpha, it’s hard for him to let his authority go. Roman’s dad would scold Jimmy mercilessly for being too soft on his wife, and—the actual reason—for marrying a human. But he’s not their alpha anymore, Roman is, and he’s not gonna let the resentment distracts them from the real problem.

“As you all’ve heard, Joe has joined the Riverside pack,” he starts. Anger crawls under his skin at the sound of the name. Someone he once considered _family_. Before he continues, someone interrupts him.

“That backstabbing mutt. I wanna rip his face to shreds!”

Roman shoots his sister Nia a warning glance. Dark red flashes her eyes as she growls, exposing her fangs.

All of them are trained to control their inner wolves during the different phases of the moon, but she has always been the emotional one, as opposed to their older sister Tamina. Already being agitated by the half-moon, Nia was so close to go after Joe the moment they found out about his betrayal.

“Trust me, I wanna do that myself. But we have more important matters in our hands,” Roman says again, ignoring the bubbling anger in his stomach. Nia takes a long deep breath, seemingly trying hard to control herself. After a moment, her eyes shift gradually back to their brown color.

Cody, Tamina’s husband, responds, “I agree. Joe must have blabbed to them about our plan with the Golden pack. I won’t be surprised if they try to do the same thing.”

“But we have a better relationship with the Golden pack,” Jimmy interjects. “Old Flair will step down soon, and Charlotte’s not gonna choose McIntyre over Roman.”

Roman can already sense his dad’s annoyance, even before he speaks.

“We could’ve had an even better relationship with them if you married Ember instead of that _human_ girl. Now we’re all paying for your mistake.” Everyone in the room is dead silent; nobody seems to dare open their mouth. Jimmy has gone very pale, as if all colors have been drained from his face. “Charlotte will do whatever is best for her pack. Like an alpha should.” He turns to Roman, eyes dangerously flashing yellow. A part of Roman still feels somewhat small when his dad uses that tone on him. “And _you_ shouldn’t have let that happen; he’d have done what his alpha told him to do. Dwayne would never—“

“He’s not here,” Roman cuts him off. The intimidation evaporates, replaced by a dignity of an alpha. _Not that name again_. “We don’t need him. Or Joe. They think we’re weak, but we’re not. Maybe we’re not as strong as we used to be, but we’re not fucking weak. Screw them, screw them both; we’ll be fine without them.” He stares at his dad right in the eye, and his dad merely stares back, with his normal human eyes. And a faint smile of approval on his lips.

The rest of the meeting goes by Roman ordering all of them to keep an eye on the Riverside pack, and not do anything reckless that will attract the council’s attention. Nia’s face flushes a little on the warning, but she nods with the others. When the room is almost empty, Roman stops Jimmy from leaving by grabbing his arm.

“Tell Naomi she can’t go to the hospital alone after dark, until we figure out what the Riverside pack is up to,” he tells his cousin, who’s looking at him warily. “They’re up to something. I’d rather not find what that is the hard way.” Jimmy gives him a nod. Roman lets go of the arm and follows him with his gaze until he disappears behind the door. After the door’s closed, he draws in a deep breath.

They’ll get through this. It isn’t the first time people leave the pack, and it’s not gonna be the last. They’ll live through it. Like they always do.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I posted both the prologue and chapter 2, because the prologue is the only time we'll get Roman's POV. The rest of the fic will be entirely in Seth's.


	2. Chapter 2

It must have been minutes, but the couple in front of him still hasn’t decided what to order.  Seth shifts his weight from one foot to the other, trying to conceal his impatience. Maybe they can pick sooner if they spend more time looking at the menu instead of being so occupied with each other. The girl keeps giving the guy a look of full-on adoration, like she can’t believe he’s here with her. While the guy has his arm around her shoulder the entire time—also when studying his menu—in a possessive manner. Seth doesn’t need to look twice to know that he’s a werewolf and she’s a human.

Seth’s not a wolf expert, but it’s no secret that a lot of humans are fascinated by them. Though at the other end of the spectrum some others are afraid, of the werewolves’ supernatural powers, and the darkness surrounding them.

His colleague Emma belongs to the first group. She keeps telling him that sex with werewolves is fucking amazing. Once he gets a taste of it, he’ll never want anything else ever again; her words, not his. Not gonna lie, sometimes he gets _curious_. But, he always comes back to his senses. As tempting as it is, just like any other being with an abundance of powers, wolves are not to be trusted.

And then there’s his roommate Marek who is the complete opposite of Emma. He despises werewolves, seeing their kind as an abomination. He’s also friends with some people who share the same thoughts, and sometimes they can get _a little bit_ extreme. But that’s none of Seth’s business.

 _Finally_ , the couple has made up their minds and orders two steaks. Seth almost can’t hide his smile of relief as he scribbles it down on his notes and tells them he’ll be right back with their drinks. Pushing the kitchen door open, he puts his notes on the table and gives Zack the order.

“One rib-eye rare borderline blue, one tenderloin medium well for table 12.”

Zack goes to retrieve the meats from the pantry. After making sure he gets the order correctly, Seth leaves to the bar to fetch the drinks. When he comes back to the kitchen Emma is there, talking to Zack, who’s laughing at whatever she just said.

“How long for table 12?” Seth asks. Zack is a good cook, but he gets distracted easily.

“About ten minutes,” Zack replies, thankfully has stopped laughing. He sprinkles some salt on the steaks. “Two different cuts, man.”

Seth nods, taking his small notebook from the table and shoving it back into his apron pocket. When he looks up, Emma is watching him with a smile that Seth instinctively doesn’t like. “What?”

“That tall wolf Baron at table 23 asked for you,” she says.

Seth inwardly sighs. The werewolf has been hitting on him from the moment he started coming here almost two weeks ago. Seth’s always had people flirting with him—werewolves and humans—mostly when he’s bartending. But the wolves are way more insistent. So far Baron hasn’t crossed the line. Nothing that will make Mark, their werewolf bouncer, throw him out. Old Mark is the only wolf that Seth trusts, perhaps because he’s much more human than the rest of them.

 “I can’t, Johnny needs my help after I’m done with table 12,” Seth replies, and it’s not a lie. Not completely at least. Johnny, the bartender, did ask for his help—at nine PM. But it’s just half an hour earlier, anyway.

Emma doesn’t seem to buy it, but she shrugs. “Fine, your loss.”

Making his way out of the kitchen, Seth quickly takes the steaks to table 12, with an apology for the wait. Then he manages to slip to the bar without being seen by Baron. _Thank God._ Johnny looks a bit surprised to see him so early, but three new customers are coming and they soon get busy.

Crescent Moon is a cozy bar and grill that’s popular among the humans in Whitedrift. But unlike some others, they aren’t opposed to werewolf guests. Except when it’s full moon (which naturally is also Mark’s day off). The owner Mick thinks the idea of a human-exclusive restaurant is ridiculous, not to mention discriminating.

Seth isn’t a bartender like Johnny. So, he only makes the simple drinks like gin and tonic and dry martini, leaving the more complicated cocktails to Johnny. It works out just fine; he served drinks in a bar, too, in his hometown Ravenshore. When he started here three years ago, Seth was hired as the head waiter, but as the time goes he’s doing more and more, from taking orders to bookkeeping. Mick is never around, so Seth’s the one who keeps everything under control.

By the time all the customers are leaving it’s already one in the morning.

 

* * *

 

He always takes this road when he walks home. It’s a long, well-lit alleyway between some apartment buildings. Unlike the area across the river, this part of town isn’t a werewolf territory. Of course, he crosses paths with some werewolves along the way, but under normal circumstances they only pose a threat to humans when it’s full moon. As territorial creatures they’re more dangerous to each other than to humans.

Seth walks in a steady pace, avoiding some wet patches on the road from the earlier rain, when suddenly, he hears voices from the far corner. Stopping on his tracks, he slowly steps forward. That part of the alley isn’t as well-lit, obscured by the shadows of the balconies above. As he gets closer he can make out four people: three men and—a woman. Just by looking at the men he knows they’re werewolves. There’s something dark about them, like an eerie vibe.

“You’re gonna regret this, Joe,” the woman speaks. Seth can still see her face in the shadow. _She’s human_. “They’re not gonna let you get away with it.” Her voice is firm, despite being cornered by three big werewolves. But Seth can see her shoulder shake a little.

“Well, then perhaps they shouldn’t have let you wander alone at night,” one of them says in a smooth voice, must be the one called Joe. “We know how _highly_ they think of you.”

The woman takes a deep breath, her long hair moves when she shakes her head. Seth notices that the tips of her hair are dyed green.

“How—how could you?” she stammers. “You were… family.”

She sounds like she’s on the verge of tears. Before he thinks it through, Seth finds himself approaching them. “Excuse me,” he says, drawing their attention to him. “Are they harassing you, ma’am?” he asks the woman, who’s now looking at him with wide eyes.

The three wolves turn around, and Seth almost immediately regrets his choice. They all look intimidating; one tall redhead with very pale skin, one big and bulky, and the last one with platinum hair is smaller than the other two, but his smirk makes Seth uneasy. _Relax, they’re not allowed to hurt you,_ he tries to reason with himself.

“It’s none of your business, fella. Leave,” the redhead says, eyes glowing bright yellow. Seth’s heart beats faster, but he doesn’t move.

The guy with platinum hair smirks wider. “I can hear your heartbeat. You’re right to be afraid of us,” he says, mockingly soft. “We’re _dangerous_.”

Seth gulps, but he holds his head up. “You can’t harm us.”

“Are you sure about that, pretty boy?” Platinum hair says again, a red glint flashing in his eyes. “There’s only one way to find out.” He opens his mouth, revealing his sharp fangs, and the other two laugh as Seth jumps backward.

“It’s okay,” the woman tells him in hushed voice. “I’m okay. They’re not going to hurt me. They just want to—send a warning.” She pauses for a second, giving him a somewhat reassuring smile. “You’re very kind, but don’t worry about me. My husband’s a werewolf… he’ll be here soon. You should leave.”

Seth looks at her. She seems to mean what she said, but there’s just something about these wolves that gives him the creeps. They’re unlike the ones he sees every day at the restaurant. He knows how dangerous werewolves can be, but these ones seem… darker, more animalistic than human. As if they’d rip him to pieces in a blink of an eye, the treaty be damned.

“Ma’am, are you sure?” he says, despite the fear. “I can wait until your husband’s here.”

Instead of looking grateful, the woman shakes her head. “No, no, no, I’ll be fine. You should leave before their alpha arrives. _Go_. Please,” she urges him, sounding almost panic.

Seth hesitates. From his peripheral vision, he can see that the three wolves have stepped back, leaving some space between them. Why would they do that? Does it have something to do with—

He doesn’t even have time to finish the trail of thought. Something moves on the wall in front of him… a shadow, then Seth senses a presence behind him that makes the hair on the back of his neck stand up. His heart pounds against his ribcage as he stands absolutely still, doesn’t even dare make a sound.

The shadow moves, and suddenly a tall guy comes into view. Seth’s eyes widen when he sees him. The guy is huge, bigger and taller than the others. He’s wearing a black leather jacket and leather pants, with an intricate chain detail on each shoulder. If Seth wasn’t so terrified, he’d probably be impressed. Blue eyes stare at him, unflinching, almost making him out of breath without even doing anything.

_Should’ve listened to her._

The corners of the alpha’s lips are tugged into a slow smile. “What do we have here? A human trying to stick his nose in werewolf business,” he says, looking down at Seth, voice deceivingly soft. “Do you know what we do to humans who are stupid enough to stand in our way, _little thing_?”

Shivers run down Seth’s spine at the words, but he forces himself to hold his gaze. “You can’t hurt me,” he says. “The—council won’t let you get away with it. The treaty clearly says werewolves aren’t allowed to harm humans.” He knows his rapid heartbeat betrays him, anyway, but he’s not gonna let them think he’s helpless.

“Hmm,” the alpha murmurs. His blue gaze takes Seth in, from his eyes down to his lips, and lingers there for a very long second. Before Seth can do anything, he reaches out and grips his face, making him gasp. “A brave human for a change. Foolish, but brave.” Callous fingers stroke his cheek, painfully slow. “And a pretty one, too.”

Seth can only stare at him wide-eyed, too taken aback to move. The blazing blue eyes stare back at him with undisguised hunger, making him shiver.

“Let him go, he has nothing to do with this,” the woman pleads. “Jimmy will be here soon. Roman and the pack won’t let you get away with it if you hurt him.”

The alpha looks unfazed. He doesn’t even look at her when he speaks; his eyes remain locked on Seth’s. “This human’s fate isn’t in your hands.” He leans a little more down, so that their faces are getting closer. “What’s your name, little thing?”

Seth’s breath come in short gasps. He feels his lips part of their own accord, but there are no words come out.

A smile that resembles amusement crosses the alpha’s face. Seth hisses when he tightens his grip, fingers painfully digging into Seth’s cheeks. “I asked _you_ what your name is.”

“Seth,” Seth blurts out. “…Seth Rollins.”

The smile grows wider, revealing two deep dimples that soften his face—deceivingly. Because the iron fingers on Seth’s face are the opposite of soft. “There you go. Wasn’t so hard, was it? You better remember Drew McIntyre, and the Riverside pack,” he says, slightly loosening his grip. “I know you will.” Then he releases Seth and swifts in a graceful move. Seth almost stumbles backwards, but he just manages to stay on his feet.

“Tell Reigns whatever he’s planning, he’s going to fail. ‘Cause that’s what he is: a failure,” Drew tells the woman. She breathes hard, her body rigid as she strides towards Seth. Drew looks at Seth for some more seconds before he turns around, followed by the other three werewolves. And just like that, they disappear in the shadow.

The woman is on Seth’s side, carefully reaching over to touch his arm. “Are you okay?” she asks warily.

Seth is about to answer when he sees another moving shadow. His body automatically stiffens as a werewolf come running towards them, but the woman next to him lets out a relieved sigh. He stops near them, and unlike the previous pack, he doesn’t have a threatening vibe about him. His honey-colored eyes are warm and full of genuine worry as he looks at her.

“I can smell them… did they hurt you?” he asks in a rapid voice, pulling her into him. “I swear to God if they did—“

“I’m fine, Jimmy, I’m fine,” she cuts him off in muffled voice, burying her face in his chest. “I’m fine.”

Jimmy doesn’t look convinced, but after a moment he slightly pulls away. “You know you shouldn’t go alone at night, what were you thinking? I was worried sick about you.”

She gives him an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry. A patient of mine was—oh, never mind, I promise I won’t do it again.”

Seth takes a step back, feeling like he’s invading their private moment, but then the woman turns her head to him, as if she suddenly remembers that he’s still there. “Oh God, Jimmy, it’s bad… This is Seth, he… caught McIntyre’s eye. I’m afraid he’ll do something to him.”

For the first time, Jimmy averts his gaze to Seth, like he only realizes his presence now. He seems a little confused. “That’s—unfortunate, but it’s none of our business. There’s nothing we can do about it.”

“You don’t understand, he’s in this position because of me.” She shakes her head impatiently. “I can’t let anything happen to him.”

As nice as her concern is, Seth would rather not be talked about like he wasn’t there. Today started like any other day, until he stupidly interfered in something he should stay away from. _I’ll keep that in mind for next time._ He just wants to go home and forget all of that ever happened. But Drew’s blue eyes flash in his mind and he can feel his stomach tighten. Perhaps… he’ll already forget about him tomorrow; a mere human like Seth shouldn’t be interesting for a powerful alpha like him, right?

“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Seth interjects, making them both look at him. “He’s not gonna hurt me, it’ll break the treaty. Maybe, he won’t even remember me tomorrow.” _I’m not gonna freak out, freaking out won’t help anyone._ He forces a smile, but she doesn’t look convinced.

“There are ways of _hurting_ humans that the treaty doesn’t cover.” Surprisingly it’s Jimmy who speaks. “But he’s right. I don’t think McIntyre will waste his precious time on a human; he’ll get his hands busy trying to sabotage our plan.”

“Well… he did tell me Roman is gonna fail, cause he’s a failure, and I should tell him that,” she says in a reluctant tone.

“See, he’ll be too busy to play with this human,” Jimmy assures her, and Seth supposedly, but mostly her.

She nods, but her face still looks uncertain. After a moment, she opens her purse and digs for something, retrieving a little notebook—not unlike the one Seth uses at the restaurant—and a pen, then she writes something and rips the paper off.

“This is my number. Call me if something happens. Anytime,” she tells him, thrusting the paper into his hand. “I’m Naomi, and this is Jimmy. We’re from the Bloodline pack.”

Seth has no choice but to take the paper. “Thanks,” he says.

“Where do you live? Let us drive you home.” Apparently, she’s still not done yet.

“No, you don’t have to. I live just around the corner,” Seth quickly says.

Naomi softly sighs but she doesn’t insist, much to his relief. “Alright, but promise me you’ll give me a call if you see anything suspicious, even if it turns out to be nothing.”

“I promise,” Seth says. But he genuinely hopes that he doesn’t have to.

 


	3. Chapter 3

“Seth?”

Seth jumps when a hand touches his shoulder. He spills the beer he’s been holding, some of it seeping through his long white sleeve. _Fuck._ When he turns around he finds Breezy’s curious face looking at him. “God, you scared me,” he exclaimed, putting the glass on the bar counter. His heart is still racing.

“My bad, but I called you three times already,” Breezy says. “Is everything okay?”

 _No,_ _it’s not_. But Seth can’t tell him that. “It’s fine. I’m just… tired, I guess.” He turns around to empty the glass in the sink and refill it. “Nothing happened.”

The truth is, he’s not lying. Nothing happened in the past week after his encounter with Naomi and the werewolves. Everything feels… normal. So normal that Seth had asked himself if that night wasn’t just his tired mind imagining things. But the piece of paper with Naomi’s number in his drawer is the cold, hard proof that it wasn’t. And then there are times where Seth feels someone watching him when he walks home at night, but when he turns around there is no one. Like last night.

He’d rather have them actually do something, or forget about him completely. Not leaving him hanging on a string like this. The paranoia is driving him insane—it would drive _anyone_ insane.

The next half an hour goes pretty much normal, until he mixes up two people’s drinks. When he apologizes to them, he can feel that Johnny is watching him.

“Seth, are you sure you’re okay? You’re very jumpy and distracted lately,” Johnny asks after the customers have left.

 _Great_ , now almost all of his colleagues have noticed that. Breezy did earlier and now Johnny. And yesterday Emma told him he looked pale. “I’m fine,” he says.

“I think you should take a break,” Johnny tells him. “I’ll cover for you.”

Seth contemplates it for a moment. Maybe Johnny’s right. He could use a little break to catch his breath and get some fresh air. “Thanks. If you need me I’ll be outside.”

“Sure, man,” Johnny says and goes to greet a new customer. Seth looks at him for a second before walking away.

Crisp evening wind greets him when he opens the backdoor that leads to an alley. It’s a little chilly, but Seth doesn’t mind. He leans on the wall and closes his eyes. _Stop overthinking it,_ the voice in his head says. It’s been a week, maybe they won’t do anything to him after all.

His eyes snap open when he hears a rustle. _What’s that?_ He looks around, keeping his back against the wall. Then he spots something near the far wall across the street that makes his heart beat faster. Under the shadow, a pair of red orbs is staring at him, glowing in the dark. _Like animal eyes._ Seth’s head screams at him to run back inside; whoever it is can’t touch him there. But somehow his body freezes as cold fear is creeping in his chest.

The glowing red eyes are getting closer, and soon he can see familiar platinum hair, followed by a pair of glowing yellow eyes. They leave the shadow and step into the light. Platinum hair smirks at him, looking just as smug as he was that particular night. The tall redhead next to him fixes his gaze on Seth, his skin looking unnaturally pale under the harsh neon lights.

 _Be careful with what you wish for._ He said he wanted them to do something, and here they are. They know where he works. Maybe even where he lives… Seth keeps his head up and stares back at each of them in turn, despite his hammering heartbeat. “What do you want?”

“Good to see you, too, pretty boy,” Platinum hair says, still smirking. “Missed us?”

“I miss the day I didn’t know you exist,” Seth blurts out before he can stop himself. It might be stupid to provoke a werewolf, but he can’t help it. The goddamn encounter with them has made him uneasy for a week. His life used to be so normal—nothing out of ordinary ever happened to him for his whole twenty-six years of existence—but now he can’t even walk outside without looking over his shoulder. _Fuck them._

The redhead laughs. “He got you there, Dolph.” He looks at Seth as if he sees something amusing. “You’re a fierce little fella, no wonder our alpha likes you.”

Even though Seth has expected that, it still makes his stomach tighten. So Naomi is right after all… Drew McIntyre isn’t done with him.

Seth doesn’t know what he feels. Anger, fear, frustration, or everything all at once. “I don’t care whatever grudge your pack has against the Bloodline pack, but it’s none of my business. So leave me out of it,” he snaps at them, ignoring the fact that they’re werewolves and can shred him to pieces. “Stop stalking me, I don’t want anything to do with you! Tell your alpha to leave me the fuck alone.”

Platinum hair—Dolph—watches him for a second before chuckling. “You’re right, Sheamus. Such a little firecracker,” he says lightly, as if Seth’s outburst never happened. “And no can do, pretty boy. If you want to tell Drew something, you have to tell him yourself.”

The thought of seeing the alpha again sends a shiver up and down Seth’s spine. He hasn’t forgotten those blue eyes, piercing into him like bright laser light. “Is he—here?”

Instead of replying, Dolph and Sheamus merely look at him with a grin on their faces. A part of Seth wants to yell at them to tell him, but another part of him would rather not know the answer. Silence hangs in the air until suddenly the backdoor opens. Seth jerks his head around and sees Emma stepping out of the door with a pack of cigarettes in her hand.

“I heard your voice,” she says, looking curious. “Who were you yelling at?”

Seth looks back at her in confusion. Can’t she see—

But when he turns back to the wall in front of him, there’s no one.

 

* * *

 

Seth doesn’t really remember how he got home. Everything feels like a blur. He didn’t tell Emma anything, because it’d be complicated to explain about the wolves without them being there. And he just didn’t have the energy to argue with her. When he got back to the restaurant he was still shaken and distracted, couldn’t concentrate on anything. It ended up with a glass slipping through his fingers when he poured some whiskey into it. The glass crashed to the floor into a million pieces. Johnny then said that Seth looked unwell and insisted to call a cab to drive him home.

His roommate is in the living room when he opens the door, looking surprised to see him. “You’re early,” Marek says, and then he frowns. “Dude, you’re so pale. Are you sick or something?”

“I’m fine,” Seth tells him. He’s repeated the words to so many people that it now feels automatic. He crosses the living room to go to his room, but before his hand reaches the door handle, Marek speaks again.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I said I’m fine, alright?” Seth snaps. All the tension he’s been feeling all week has gotten to him. He’s sick of people asking him if he’s okay. He’s _fucking_ not.

Marek looks at him, dumbfounded, and Seth immediately feels a bit guilty. He doesn’t deserve it; he’s concerned about him as a friend. But Seth can’t bring himself to apologize. Not tonight. “I just need to sleep it off. See you tomorrow.” Before Marek says anything, he opens the door to his room and slips inside.

He carelessly tosses his backpack to the floor before stripping out of his clothes, leaving only his underwear on. Then he goes to the bathroom and splashes a lot of cold water on his face, doesn’t care that it makes him shiver. He needs this. When he finally stops, he stares at his reflection in the mirror. Everyone was right, he looks tired and pale. He takes a couple of deep breaths, gripping the edges of the sink. This has to stop now, he can’t keep living in paranoia like this. It’s only been a week and already driven him crazy.

Seth strides back into his room after drying his face off, eyes fixed on the bedside table. He still hesitates for a moment as his hand reaches out to open the top drawer. _There is no other way._ After a long second he pulls the piece of paper out and plops down on the bed. It’s almost eleven o’clock, but she said he could call her anytime. He needs do it now before he changes his mind.

It only takes two rings before she picks up the phone. “Naomi here,” she says, and the sound of her voice already makes Seth feel a little bit better. “Hello?”

“…It’s Seth Rollins. Sorry to call you this late.”

“Seth, hey!” Naomi exclaims on the other side of the line. “Are you okay?”

That question again; the same one everybody kept asking him. But the difference is this time Seth doesn’t have to pretend he’s okay. She understands. So he tells her everything, from the uneasy feeling that he’s being stalked, to how Dolph and Sheamus showed up earlier at the restaurant. Once he starts everything comes out in a rush, like flooding water that’s impossible to stop. “—they know where I work, most likely where I live, too, I don’t know what to do,” he confesses. “I don’t want any of this. I just want them to leave me alone.”

Naomi listens to him patiently until he’s done talking, never tries to interject even once. When she finally speaks her voice is soft and apologetic, “I’m sorry this happened to you... because of me.” She pauses for a second before going on, “Meet me at my place tomorrow afternoon, I’ll text you the address.”

He nods, even though she can’t see it. “Thanks.”

“We’ll figure something out,” she says reassuringly. “I promise.”

 

* * *

 

Seth didn’t have the best start of the day. After he ended the call he was too restless to sleep, tossing and turning in the bed, until exhaustion took its toll and he fell asleep with the lights still on. Marek already left for work when he woke up—lucky to escape his foul mood. Three cups of coffee later he was ready to leave and find Naomi’s place.

Luckily, he found Naomi’s place without a problem. He drove carefully, through some other places first in case he was being followed. And then he saw the house. It’s a nice white, suburban two-story house with a well-kept small garden full of different flowers. It suits her. She warmly greeted him and ushered him inside. Her husband was there, as well as another werewolf who looks like him. She introduced him as Jey, Jimmy’s twin brother. But as opposed to her hospitality, the two wolves weren’t exactly thrilled to see him. Jey said they were aware of Seth’s situation, but it wasn’t up to them to decide. They had to let their alpha make the call.

So, here they are now.

The alpha’s house isn’t far from Jimmy and Naomi’s, only one block away. It has a similar modern, suburban style, but the building is bigger, as well as the lawn. If Seth wasn’t so anxious he would admire the architecture. Jey leads them to a huge front door, disabling the security alarm before opening the door. Inside the house, Seth waits with Naomi in the living room while Jey and Jimmy disappear upstairs.

“It’ll be fine,” she assures him.

Seth merely nods, because honestly, what other choices does he have?

He doesn’t know how long they’ve waited—it could be a few minutes or longer—it seems like time passes a lot slower here. Finally, he hears some footsteps. Seth sits straighter in the couch, his heartbeat picking up pace in anticipation. Jimmy and Jey are the first ones he sees. They are followed by not one but four people; two women and two men. The women and one of the men have similar characteristics to the twins: tall, and dark haired with glowing bronze skin, while the other man looks different from the rest of them. His eyes are bright green and his skin light.

Instinctively, Seth knows that none of them is the alpha. It’s something he can’t explain. As impressive as they are, they don’t have the same commanding presence that Drew McIntyre has. Something Seth would expect from an alpha.

They’re all eyeing Seth, making him even more anxious. He’s never been in a house with a pack of werewolves before. _Guess there’s a first time for everything._ He’s forcing himself to stay calm and keep his chin up when the last wolf walks in. Seth automatically turns to look at him, and the moment their eyes meet his heartbeat skips a beat. Or two.

The man is tall and powerfully built, with tanned skin and long black hair that falls around his face. He slightly moves his head and the lights hit his steel-grey eyes, making them look silver. _Breathtaking._ Seth feels his heart pound harder in his chest. The man is the most beautiful being he’s ever seen.

And there’s no question that he is the alpha. From the way the other werewolves nod at him in respect, to the way he carries himself with such ease and confidence. He keeps his eyes entirely on Seth, but his face gives nothing away. Heat is creeping up Seth’s face. All the werewolves must be able to hear his rapid heartbeat, but he hopes they’ll think that it’s out of fear. _Not because of the stunning silver eyes_.

“Jimmy has told me that McIntyre is interested in you,” the alpha speaks, his voice deep and velvety. That’s not a question, so Seth merely looks back at him. “That’s unfortunate, but other werewolf’s interest is none of our business.” He glances at Naomi who’s shaking her head.

“But Roman, it’s my fault,” she protests, earning her a not-so-subtle glare from one of the female werewolves. “Seth wouldn’t be in this position if it wasn’t for me.”

Before Roman replies, the female werewolf interjects, “So what? We don’t run a protection program for helpless humans.” Seth is surprised at how disdainful she sounds. Aren’t they—a pack?

“Nia,” Roman's voice is calm but laced with warning. The werewolf—Nia—narrows her eyes at Naomi and then Seth, but she doesn’t say more. Roman then averts his gaze to the green-eyed wolf next to Nia who has a smile on his face, unlike the others. “What is it, Cody?”

“Can’t you guys see this is a _golden_ opportunity? Finally, something to be used against the Riverside pack,” Cody says, his green eyes glowing. “Suppose McIntyre is obsessed, we can make him believe you’re also interested in this human, and the other way around. Knowing him, his massive ego won’t accept defeat. And when he does something reckless it’s our time to strike.”

 _What?_ Seth instinctively doesn’t like the sound of it. He would rather not have anything to do with Drew McIntyre, even with a pack of werewolves behind him. He doesn’t want to be involved in a territory war or whatever it is. But when he glances at Roman, the alpha looks contemplative, like he’s considering it.

“That’s not a bad idea. If he’s going too far it’ll attract the council’s attention,” Roman says after a moment.

Seth’s heart thuds loudly against his ribcage, and he swears that Roman’s eyes are on him for a fraction of a second, but his face remains perfectly unreadable. For a werewolf, he seems too calm and collected. As opposed to Nia, for example.

“Exactly. The best scenario is they’ll banish the whole pack from Whitedrift and we’ll finally get rid of them for good,” Cody replies.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, it’s very careless to take a risk for a human,” Nia objects, doesn’t look happy at all. Well, at least she and Seth agree on something. She turns to the other female werewolf near her. “Tamina will agree with me, won’t you?”

Tamina doesn’t reply right away. She looks at Seth for a second, before averting her eyes to Cody and eventually Roman. “Cody has a point. If McIntyre makes a mistake it’ll benefit us with the council, and more importantly the Golden pack.”

Letting out a scoff, Nia turns to the last werewolf, who then gives her a shrug. “Manu? Not you, _too_.” Her eyes flash deep red and her jaw visibly tightens, but to her credit she stays put.

Seth shakes his head. “Wait, I have no intention to get involved in this werewolf rivalry thing.”

“Too bad, you already are,” Cody says. “At the end of the day we have a common enemy. Don’t tell me you don’t want him gone as much as we do, because let me break it to you, kid, he’s not gonna stop until he gets you. Once a werewolf has his eye on something he’ll get it, whatever it takes.” He’s really not one to sugarcoat anything, isn't he? Seth can only stare at him dumbfoundedly as he goes on. “The council doesn’t allow werewolves to simply attack each other, so we can’t just take him out. We have to do it in another way.”

The more he hears the more confused he is. Seth didn’t know what to expect when he came here, and he still doesn’t. All he wants is for Drew McIntyre and his pack to leave him alone, that’s all. Not to be thrown in the middle of these two packs, that obviously have problems with each other. But the same question remains, _what other choices does he have_? He can’t go to the human authority because what should he tell them? Technically, Drew hasn’t done anything to him, nothing that Seth can prove.

At least the Bloodline pack isn’t interested in him; they merely use him to fit their own agenda. But maybe Cody’s right, it benefits Seth as much as it does them. And it’s all he needs, isn’t it?

“If you agree on this, we’ll give you protection,” Roman says, as if he can sense Seth’s uncertainty. “It’s gonna be alright. You have my word.”

Perhaps it’s the gentle tone, or the way Roman exudes assurance—and security—but Seth finds himself want to trust him that everything’s gonna be alright. That he’ll get his old peaceful life back.

“Okay,” that’s all Seth can say. Roman gives him the faintest hint of a smile, eyes staring deeply into his.

_Or perhaps, it’s those silver eyes._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Seth. Let's see if this solves his problem or... makes it even worse.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! Hopefully the next chapters won't take so long.

It only takes one day for Seth to regret his decision.

The first thing he notices about the werewolves in this pack is that they’re not big fans of humans. Not only him, but also Naomi, even though she’s a part of their pack. He already guessed it from the disdainful tone in Nia’s voice as she spoke to her. It reminds him of what the werewolf who betrayed them—Joe—said that day in the alleyway. _We know how highly they think of you._ It all makes sense now.

“You’ve met Joe. He used to be one of us,” Cody explained after Seth reluctantly agreed to be a part of their plan. “But then he joined the Riverside pack, and they’ll do anything to secure an alliance with the Golden pack themselves.” His green eyes flashed in silent anger.

“Do you need to tell him all that?” Nia interrupted, crossing her arms as she hovered in front of them.

Cody turned to her and shrugged. “He needs to know what’s going on, it’s only fair. Roman’s order.”

Seth’s heart beat a little faster at the mention of Roman’s name, but luckily Nia and Cody were too busy arguing to notice. The alpha went back to work not long after the meeting. Naomi mentioned to him that Roman spent a lot of time working in their family’s pharmaceutical company, that’s mostly known for their moon-phases suppressant.

“If two alphas get married, their packs will be unbreakable allies. Our pack had a good relationship with the Golden pack, it was like our chance was guaranteed; our alpha and their future one, Charlotte Flair,” Cody went on. Nia still looked annoyed, but she didn’t interject. “Then something unfortunate happened, almost ruining our chance completely.”

Seth wasn’t sure if it was his place to ask about the unfortunate thing. But Nia solved the problem when she snapped—again, revealing the reason of their resentment with poor Naomi.

“ _Unfortunate_? Stupid is the correct word. Not to mention extremely selfish.” She raised her voice, making the hair on the back of Seth’s neck stand up. “Breaking up his engagement to Ember and marrying that human is the stupidest thing Jimmy’s ever done. We’re lucky old Flair didn’t just tell us to fuck off and forget any kind of alliance.”

That was yesterday. And today Seth already wonders if he made the right decision. Because instead of one werewolf pack, now he has to deal with two. Not to mention that werewolf affairs seem as complicated as their human counterpart. In the restaurant he’s not surprised to see Jimmy and Naomi at one of the tables. Cody had told him that they’d be around, showing other werewolves that he’s now associated with their pack.

He takes a deep breath before approaching them. At least Naomi is there, too. “What can I get you guys?”

Naomi’s smile is genuine as she looks up from her menu, while Jimmy is still scanning through it. “The marinated lamb backstrap sounds amazing,” she says, and then giving Jimmy’s side a gentle elbow. “Come on, aren’t you done yet? Just pick something.”

“Calm down, will ya?” Jimmy grumbles softly. A small smile creeps on Seth’s face. They really seem like they love each other—despite how the pack feels about Naomi. After flipping through the menu for a while, Jimmy’s finally ready to order. “I’ll have the T-bone.”

They stay for a long time, talking and laughing while eating, which is quite a sweet sight if he’s being honest. And it’s not a problem because the restaurant is far from full on a Wednesday night, though Seth knows they’re doing it for him. And when they’ve paid and about to leave Jimmy tells Seth they’ll be nearby, and that they’ll walk him home later because he needs to be seen with them. Seth knows it’s pointless to argue with him so he merely shrugs and goes to the bar to help out Johnny until closing time.

At the beginning it feels a bit awkward to walk home with new people, especially ones he barely know. But Naomi keeps talking as if she’s known him for years, telling him about her work as a nurse in the local hospital and the antics of some patients. After a while Seth starts to be more at ease, because it’s impossible not to. She’s nice and she radiates warmth.

“I’m sorry again,” she says, walking next to Seth, with Jimmy trailing a bit behind. “If it wasn’t for me you wouldn’t end up in this situation.”

“It’s not your fault,” Seth tells her, and he means it. He never blames her for what happened. She never asked him to get involved, he did it himself. “Let’s hope everything works out and I’ll be free from—all this.”

She looks at him thoughtfully for a second before nodding. Then she opens her mouth about to say something, but Jimmy beats her to it. “Stay calm you two, but we were being followed.”

Seth stops walking, so does Naomi. She immediately turns around, scanning their surroundings. "Where?”

“Right after we left the restaurant,” Jimmy says, his voice completely calm. Seth’s sure he can even hear a little glee in it. “I didn’t tell you because he might hear me. But he’s gone now. That pale bastard Sheamus, I’d recognize his stinky smell anywhere.” When he sees Seth’s face he goes on, “It’s alright, the plan works. Now Sheamus will tell McIntyre that you’re with us and you bet he’s not gonna be thrilled.”  

It makes a lot of sense, and Seth knows that. But it doesn’t ease the heavy, uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. What does Drew McIntyre possibly want from him? He’s sure he can get any other humans who’ll throw themselves at his feet and do whatever he tells them to do. Seth isn’t gonna be one of them—no way in hell. So, he doesn’t understand Drew’s weird fixation with him.

Seth gives him a slight nod, but Jimmy notices he still looks gloomy. “It’s okay, really. One of us will always be around,” he assures him, sounding genuine.

“Thanks,” Seth replies after a moment. He hopes he’s right, and this nightmare will be over soon.

 

* * *

 

True to Jimmy’s words, for the next days there’s always one werewolf from the Bloodline pack in the restaurant. From Jey who jokingly says he’s glad Seth works in a restaurant, to Nia who eyes him like she hopes he dies a painful death. Still not his biggest fan, it seems. The others like Cody, Manu, and Tamina are pretty neutral, though Seth can tell they’re not here because they’re concerned about his safety. He bets they wouldn’t care about him if he wasn’t useful to their pack. But at least they’re here, and their presence makes Seth feel a little more secure.

It’s almost eight o’clock, and Seth hasn’t seen anyone from the Bloodline pack today. He can’t help wondering who it’ll be. It can’t be… Roman, can it? He hasn’t seen the alpha again since that day in his house, and he doesn’t know if it’s a good thing or not. Because just the thought of him and his silver eyes makes Seth’s heart beat faster, out of control. Which is ridiculous. As beautiful as he is, Roman isn’t someone he should be involved with. Not to mention he’s gonna marry that future alpha of the Golden pack. _So, no_ …  Seth doesn’t need another complication in his life.

“Why do you keep looking at the clock?” Emma asks when she enters the kitchen, shaking Seth off his thoughts. “Waiting for someone?”

Seth shifts his gaze to her. She’s looking at him with undisguised curiosity. It’s not hard for her to notice that he hasn’t been himself these days, everyone has noticed.

“Kind of,” he says truthfully. Emma’s eyes widen in pure interest. But before she can ask more, Seth’s club sandwich for table 5 is done. He gives her a light shrug and walks out of the kitchen.

After delivering the food, he sees in his peripheral vision that someone has just walked in and occupied table 2 in the corner. Emma is still in the kitchen and Breezy is at another table across the room, so Seth has to take the orders. As he gets closer the person looks awfully familiar. _No, not today,_ he inwardly groans.

Baron watches him with his light brown eyes, following his every move. When Seth reaches the table he gives him a polite smile and tries to ignore the intense look. “Have you decided what to order?”

“It’s hard to see you these days,” Baron says with narrowed eyes, instead of answering his question. “I start to think you’re avoiding me.” Just like the other werewolves that Seth has seen in the past days, the ferocity in his eyes is a little unsettling. With the exception of Roman’s.

“I’m just—pretty busy lately,” Seth keeps his tone polite, doesn’t want to unnecessarily offend a patron, werewolf of not. “But Emma and Breezy are always around.”

Baron’s eyes flash a bright yellow as he keeps them locked on Seth’s. “Maybe I don’t want them. Maybe I want _you_ ,” he says, his voice deceptively low.

“Can I take your order, please?” Seth asks, ignoring the statement. Baron isn’t gonna try anything stupid when Mark is around. _Or is he_? Seth gulps as the yellow glow in Baron’s eyes flash brighter, menacingly. But he forces himself not to step back. He’s not gonna give him the satisfaction.

“Barbecue ribs and beer,” Baron finally says. But just as Seth thinks he’s relented, he says again, “But don’t think I’m done with you, _Seth_. You can’t play hard to get forever.” A slow, sinister smile creeps up his face.

Anger begins to crawl under Seth’s skin. These werewolves think they’re so superior, that humans are not more than their little plaything. Although he can’t say he’s surprised about the subtle aggression, he knew it’d come sooner or later. Actually, it surprises him that it took this long for Baron to show his aggressive side. Turning on his heel, Seth strides to the kitchen. He needs to stay away, or else he’d snap and do something reckless. Such as dumping a full pint of beer on Baron’s massive head. Yeah, _reckless_.

He walks down the corridor and is about to reach the kitchen when a hand suddenly slips on the small of his back. A gasp leaves Seth’s lips as he freezes, his heart pounding wildly in his chest. _Who is—?_

“Sorry if I scared you,” Roman says, his voice smoother than Seth remembers.

Seth blinks. He can only look at Roman with slightly open mouth, as if he’s lost his ability to speak. Roman doesn’t rush him, patiently waiting until Seth’s breathing is back to normal.

“You—almost gave me a heart attack,” Seth blurts out, after taking a deep breath.

A faint smile crosses Roman’s face. “My apologies. Had to stop you before you enter the kitchen.”

Now that the shock has worn off, Seth notices that Roman is wearing a white shirt, a dark blue suit, and a pair of dress shirt of similar color, all look like they’re specifically made for him. His black hair is up in a neat bun on the nape of his neck. If Seth didn’t already know he’s a werewolf, he wouldn’t have guessed. He seems so… composed, so in control. He would easily pass as a human, if it wasn’t for his unusual eye color. Even Mark still has some wolf characteristics, albeit his age.

“I heard what that lone wolf said,” Roman says, hasn’t removed his hand from Seth’s back. “It’s time for me to scent-mark you.”

Seth’s eyes widen at the words. “For you to what?”

“To scent-mark you,” Roman repeats, his eyes looking straight into Seth’s, with an intensity that makes Seth’s heart skip a beat. “To make the trick work, you have to smell like me. It’ll show the other werewolves that you belong to me,” he says.

Before Seth says anything, he hears an intake of breath. Then he sees Emma standing near the kitchen door. Her gaze is fixed on them—mostly on Roman—and her jaw drops to the floor. Seth doesn’t blame her. She knows that he doesn't trust werewolves and now suddenly he’s in the corridor with one, who has his hand on Seth’s lower back. It must look more intimate that it actually is.

“Is there somewhere we can be alone?” Roman asks, shooting her a brief look.

“Yeah... this way,” Seth says. He guesses it’s better to get it over with. He turns to Emma and gives her the piece of paper in his hand. “Can you take this order to the kitchen, please? I’ll be back soon.” She takes the paper and nods, still looking at them in awe.

Giving her one last glance, Seth walks to the backdoor and opens it. Roman follows him outside, to the empty alleyway. Seth hasn’t been out here since he saw Sheamus and Dolph that night, but Roman’s presence makes him feel safer. And it’s the only place where there are no other people around.

“How does this… scent-marking thing work?” Seth tentatively asks.

Roman watches him for a second before walking towards him, closing the gap between them. Instinctively Seth steps back, until he feels the wall behind him, pressing up against his back. Roman stops right in front of him. A hand smoothly slides on the nape of his neck, thumb moving across the sensitive skin. Seth’s breath hitches at the contact, but somehow he stands still.

“I have to touch you.”

Roman’s eyes are fixed on him; his thumb gently stroking Seth’s neck, oddly giving him a calming sensation. Seth nods, doesn’t trust himself to speak. After a few long seconds the alpha moves closer, close enough for their bodies to slightly touch. He brushes his nose on Seth’s jawline, slowly moving to the back of his ear where his pulse is drumming. Seth lets out a soft gasp when he feels Roman’s lips on his skin.

 _God._ This is a lot worse than he thought it was gonna be. Seth struggles to keep his breathing even, and his heart is hammering frantically against his ribcage. It must sound so loud in Roman’s ears, yet he hasn’t said anything about it. Seth can’t help feeling that Roman is being thoughtful with him, which is quite a surprise, considering how werewolves don’t normally seem to care.

“The pulse points are the warmest parts of the human body,” Roman murmurs in his ear, voice smoother than pure silk. “So they carry the scent longer.” He rubs his cheek against Seth’s neck and his beard tickles, sending a shiver to Seth’s spine. Like it has a mind of its own, Seth’s hand shoots up and grabs Roman’s arm. His face heats up when he realizes what he’s doing, but he can’t bring himself to let go. He needs some kind of anchor, and Roman’s strong arms feel exactly like one.

“How—how much longer will this take?” Seth asks, in a voice that doesn’t sound like his own.

Roman rubs his cheek in the crook of Seth’s neck, all the way to the base of his throat. “Two more seconds,” he says. The sensation of warm skin on skin makes Seth feel a little lightheaded. But he’s trying hard to get a grip. How embarrassing would it be to get turned on? Roman would smell it in a split second, and Seth would rather die. But who knew this scent-marking would be so intimate, almost… sensual?

After what feels like a century, Roman pulls away. Seth’s breathing is still coming in short bursts as his heartbeat loudly echoes in his ear. He releases Roman’s arm and sees that Roman is watching him, face looking completely unfazed. As if what they just did is nothing out of ordinary. Does he not feel affected by the proximity at all—not even a tiny part of him?

“Now you smell like me,” Roman says, after looking at Seth for a moment. “It will keep most werewolves away from you, including that lone wolf. Except maybe McIntyre, but we already know that.”

Seth is about to nod, when something crosses his mind. “How often must we do this?”

“As often as we can.”

 _What_? His heartbeat is spiking once again at the thought of doing this again—so often. That’s a lot more than Seth expected. _What has he signed up for_? But it’s too late to back out now; he has to get on with it.

“If we’re done here I… need to go back to work,” Seth says in one breath. His body feels like he’s just ran a marathon even though all he did was standing still. But, maybe the next ones won’t be as bad, since he’ll get used to it at some point. It’s a wishful thinking but what else can he do.

Roman merely nods, his silver eyes glinting as they reflect the lights. Still as stunning as the first time Seth saw them.

Without waiting for Roman to say anything, Seth opens the door and goes back inside. He places a hand on his chest, as if it would help slowing his heartbeat down. Of course it doesn’t. He enters the kitchen to see if his order is up. Zack looks up from the grill and grins when he sees him.

“Emma said she saw you with a hot werewolf, is it true?” he asks. “She wouldn’t shut up about it.”

Seth has expected that. Emma wouldn’t be able to keep her mouth shut about something this big. He shrugs, has to play along with it. “Yeah,” he says. “Are the ribs done?”   

He’s lucky because his order is done, and at the same time Breezy comes in with more orders to occupy Zack. Seth takes the ribs and walks out of the kitchen. He can still feel Roman’s beard grazing his skin and it makes him shiver. But he’s also curious of how Baron is gonna react to the scent.

The effect is immediate. Baron stares at him intently, but as Seth gets closer he can see the confusion on his face. It’s almost funny. Any other day Seth would laugh out loud at his facial expression. But not now when he’s still feeling lightheaded from the scent-marking in the alleyway.

“Here are your ribs,” he says, putting the plate in front of him.

“How can you suddenly smell like…” Baron trails off. For the first time since Seth’s known him, he looks uncertain. So different from his demeanor earlier. “…Like an alpha.”

Seth only shrugs. If Roman’s right, Baron probably won’t be a problem for him anymore. “Enjoy.” He turns around and walks away, and—Baron doesn’t attempt to stop him, much to his relief.

As he’s walking he sees Cody at table 11, with Roman next to him. Right, they still need to stay and then walk him home, like the other days. His heart starts to act up once again at the sight of Roman sitting at the table, looking quite… domestic. But he draws in a deep breath and approaches them. “Have you guys ordered?”

“Jey said the porterhouse is good, so I’ll have that,” Cody says, closing the menu. His green eyes sparkle as he grins. “The lone wolf has smelled Roman on you and backed off, hasn’t he? Him and then McIntyre, aren’t you popular among wolves?” he teases.

Seth chooses to ignore it, although Cody’s playful nature kinda eases off his nerves. “How about you?” he asks Roman, whose eyes are on him the whole time.

“I’ll have the same, thanks.”

Writing it down on his notebook, Seth asks again, “How do you like your steaks?” Most werewolves like their steaks rare and sometimes blue. So, he’s a bit surprised when both of them want it medium rare.

“What is it?” Roman suddenly asks, startling him once again. When Seth looks up, Roman is still watching him. “I can practically hear the wheels in your head turning.”

Seth contemplates his answer. “I thought werewolves prefer very rare to blue meats, from what I’ve seen,” he says. Whatever he expected, it’s not Roman letting out a chuckle. Seth watches him with a slightly opened mouth, transfixed by how his face softens as he laughs, looking so… _human_. Next to him, Cody laughs, too.

“Do you mean we should eat raw meats?” Roman asks with a raised eyebrow, but his voice sounds amused. “You know werewolves are still half human.”

“Right,” Seth says, feeling a bit embarrassed. “I’ll be back with your food.” But before he moves a step, Roman calls his name.

“Seth, there’s one more thing.” It’s the first time Roman says his name, and it makes Seth stop.

He takes Seth’s hand and brings it to his face, never breaking the eye contact. Seth is too taken aback to pull his hand away. Roman rubs the wrist against his cheek, his movement slow but methodical. Somehow, it feels more intimate than when he had his face on Seth’s neck. Time seems to slow down. Seth’s breathing quickens again when Roman slightly turns his head and his lips brush Seth’s inner wrist.

“The pulse points,” Roman murmurs, his breath ghosting on Seth’s skin.

 _This is too much_. Feeling suddenly overwhelmed, Seth tugs his hand back, and to his surprise Roman lets him.

Breathing deeply, Seth takes a step back. “I’ll—be right back,” he stammers.

He needs to be out of here as quickly as possible, back to his personal space, away from the alpha that gives him these weird but _not unpleasant_ sensations. In fast steps, he crosses the room and heads for the kitchen. He doesn’t need to turn around to know that Roman is watching him. His heartbeat remains a rapid thrum against his ribcage, despite the growing distance between them.

He shouldn’t feel like this. It’s just a deal that he has to make. If Seth had a choice, he’d still choose to stay away from the werewolves, as they’re nothing but troubles.

So why does he feel like this?

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gosh, it's been almost a year since I updated this. :O I'm terribly sorry.
> 
> There's no excuse, other than I was losing interest and the situations with Roman's illness etc. I can't promise to update this fic regularly, because I have another fic that's gonna be my priority. But you'll never know when inspiration strikes. :)

Seth is about to open the door when it swings open. Reflexively he steps back. Someone walks out of the apartment and stops in his tracks when he sees him. Marek’s friend. Seth has seen him a few times in the past couple of months, though he can’t remember his name. His face isn’t easy to forget; defined cheekbones and pointed chin, and a pair of cold blue eyes devoid of emotion. His two friends are standing behind him. Marek never told Seth much about them, only that they’re in the same anti-wolf circle. In other words, the extremists Seth always tries to avoid.

But this time, the guy regards Seth with such a calculating interest. _Why is that?_ Something akin to discomfort is creeping in his stomach. He hopes it’s not what he thinks it is.

“You don’t have to work with the wolves,” he says, before Seth can open his mouth to ask. Not one for small talks, it seems. “We can offer you a _better_ protection. Without having to put your life in those useless monsters’ hands.”

Shit, did Marek really blab to these guys about his situation? Of course he did, that bastard. He means well, sure, but it doesn’t make Seth any less pissed. It’s his life, and he’s got enough of people deciding what he should do with it.

“Listen, man—“

“Adam.”

“Fine, Adam. No offense, but I believe I can make my own decision. It’s literally none of your—and Marek’s for that matter—business,” Seth says, keeping his voice calm. “Hate the wolves all you want I don’t care, but leave me out of it.”

Adam doesn’t look unnerved. His eyes remain glacial as he keeps his gaze on Seth for a very long moment. “If you change your mind, Marek knows where to find us.” Then he walks away, followed by the two guys hovering behind the door. By the time they disappear under the stairs, Seth still hasn’t quite understand what just happened. His mind is hazy lately with all the wolf business and Roman’s scent-marking.

Marek is in the living room, flipping over the channels on the television. He looks up when Seth enters the room.

“Do I need to ask why you blabbed about me to your _friends_?” Seth tosses his bag to the floor and puts his hands on his hips. “They’re creepy as fuck. Especially that Adam guy, with his cold eyes and monotone voice.”

Softly dropping the remote on the couch next to him, Marek has the audacity to look guilty. Yeah, he shouldn’t do that. He knows how much those extreme friends of his make Seth uncomfortable. He doesn’t care that they hate the wolves, he’s not a big fan of them himself, but their loathing is up to a point where they’d want all the wolves dead, if it was up to them. It’s insane, and doesn’t make them any better than those creatures they claim to be monsters.

“They’re in a circle called The Eclipse,” Marek says hesitantly, guilt still apparent in his voice. “The most organized circle out there. They’ll be able to help you, there’s no need for you to ask those creatures for help.” _Suppose creatures is better than monsters._ Seth grimaces. “You can’t trust them, Seth.”

He sounds genuinely concerned, and Seth’s anger melts away a little bit. “I know I can’t. And I don’t. But I trust Naomi, she’s not gonna let me down.”

“The woman who’s treated like shit by her so-called pack.” Marek narrows his eyes. “How is she gonna help you when she can’t help herself?”

Now it’s Seth’s turn to be reluctant. He isn’t completely wrong; Naomi does deserve better. Seth hasn’t been with them for long and it’s difficult to watch her try to fit in, and how they remind her everytime that she doesn’t belong. Nia is the most hostile, but she just doesn’t like humans very much, does she? And to be fair, not everyone treats Naomi like shit. Jey is kind to her, all things considered. Guess, the love for his twin slightly overrules the loyalty for the pack. And Roman clearly respects her, always treating her like she’s one of them.

“It’s not that bad,” Seth says, finally. “How would your friends help me anyway? That Adam guy sounded so sure out there, but you know we can’t win against the wolves.”

When Marek replies, his voice is so low Seth has to lower his head closer. “We can if we have the right _stuff_.” Even though no one can possibly overhear them in here.

Seth’s eyes widen of their own accord. “You don’t mean—“

“Yeah. A silver dagger.”

“But that’s… impossible. And fucking illegal.” He blinks rapidly, can’t believe what his roommate just told him. “How—how did they even acquire that?”

Silver is the only material that can kill a werewolf. A rare metal in itself, rarer than gold, it’s pretty much impossible to get. Hundreds of years ago before the council were formed the humans dug up all the silver in the continent, under the werewolves’ order, and melted them. Rumors say there are a little of the metal left that have been forged into several valuable silver daggers. He also heard that the human council possesses a few of those—heavily guarded—as a leverage against the wolves if things went south. So there’s no way Marek’s friends can get their hands on them.

Marek shakes his head. “I can’t tell you, man, I’m sorry. Don’t wanna put them in trouble. But trust me, Seth, you don’t have to let them control you. You have a choice.”

“By stabbing them with an illegal weapon. As if I’d get away with it.” Seth grits out, feeling sick at the thought. As much as he hates what his life has become, he’d never think of doing that.

“You would, if it was self-defense.”

But… Drew McIntyre hasn’t done anything to him, apart from sending his minions to stalk him. And even if he had, the idea still sounds so absurd, and Seth’s head is spinning.

“I don’t wanna talk about this ever again.” He inhales deeply. “Thanks for the concern, but I’ll be fine. Let me handle my business my way.” The uneasy feeling in his stomach is still there. “Be careful with those people you call friends. Hating werewolves is one thing, wanting them dead is another. We’re not barbarians, Marek. That’s why the council exists.”

Marek’s face is slightly flushed in embarrassment, but he looks adamant. Seth stares at him for a second before turning around and heading for his room.

 

* * *

 

Like everything else in Roman’s house, the kitchen is neat, clean, and meticulous. Two rows of white upper cabinets, and white drawers that sit under—what looks like—shiny black marble countertops. Roman is standing in front of the fridge, drinking a glass of water. The sight is so domestic that Seth can only stare at him in silence. After putting the glass in the sink, Roman takes one big onion from one of the cabinets and starts slicing it. Seth barely notices two beef patties on the countertop, as well as some lettuces and tomatoes, too transfixed by the host.

“I hope you like onion burgers,” Roman breaks the silence, placing a frying pan on the cooktop and adding a splash of oil.

Seth blinks and shifts his gaze to the smoking pan. He’s making him lunch, too? “Yeah… yeah, that’s fine.”

Silence for a moment, only broken by the sizzle of hot oil around the meats. “I come home for lunch when I can,” Roman says lightly, keeping his eyes on the pan.

Seth nods. He doesn’t mind cooking, though he’s not particularly good at it. He always eats dinner at the restaurant and for lunch he’ll just fix himself some easy sandwich. Unlike him, his grandpa is a great cook. But he’s far away in Ravenshore, and it’s been a while since Seth tasted his food.

Roman flips the patties on the pan. They look to be medium or medium rare. It reminds Seth of their conversation in the restaurant nearly two weeks ago, crushing his assumption about werewolves and raw meats. In his defense, a lot of the wolf patrons at the restaurant do prefer their meat rare or even blue. Though... as do the humans.

He’s here for another scent-marking before leaving for work. Seth would’ve thought that after three weeks he would be less flustered everytime Roman does it. Well, tough luck. He isn’t. His heartbeat still spikes up like crazy whenever Roman touches him, and he’ll lose his ability to speak eloquently. Or to utter anything at all.

After his talk with Marek a few days ago, Seth feels even more restless, knowing there are wolf-hater circles out there, having illegal silver daggers in their possession. He glances at Roman who’s stirring onions, with the ease of someone who knows his way around the kitchen. _Should he tell him?_ He bites his lip. But what good would it do him—and Marek? And it’s none of his business. Seth’s loyalty doesn’t lie with the wolves. Suppose the humans want to have a leverage in case things go bad, who is he to judge? The human council certainly does, and it’s probably the right thing to do. Can’t trust any creature with an abundance of power, remember?

“Do you know the history of werewolves?” Roman suddenly asks, startling him. When Seth turns his head, Roman is watching him.

He hopes he doesn’t look guilty, but Roman must’ve been used to his spiked heartbeat anyway. Though he never said anything about it. Seth gives a little nod. “A bit. Something about a curse, a long time ago.” He heard about it, of course, reading about it at school. But he’s never been interested in werewolves and the stories behind them. For all he knows, they’ve existed hundreds of years before he was born.

The knowing smile on Roman’s face implies that Seth’s ignorance doesn’t surprise him. “It was a curse, more than three hundred years ago. Nobody really knows the origin of the curse, or who cast it. Some say humans occupied the woods in this area, killing most of the wolf population. Then the curse fell upon them, binding them and their descendants to the wolves, and they’ll be affected by the phases of the moon for the rest of their lives.”

Turning his attention back to the pan, Roman removes the onions that have been brown enough. Seth watches him in silence, isn’t sure of what to say. _I’m sorry?_ But for what, maybe werewolves don’t feel like they’re cursed anymore. Being one certainly comes with some perks. Like super hearing and strength, rapid healing, and if Emma was right—endless stamina. His heart beats faster once again at the thought of the alpha… in bed, putting that stamina to a good use. _What the hell,_ he shouldn’t listen to Emma.

Roman is more beautiful than any wolf or human he’s ever seen (with the exception of Drew McIntyre, but Seth never lets him cross his mind for more than half a second), that makes him way, _way_ out of Seth’s league. And he’s only being nice to him because the situation benefits his pack. Don’t forget that. No matter how human he looks, he’s still very much... a wolf.

Seth uneasily folds his arms across his chest. Too bad it doesn’t stop his stupid body from reacting to Roman’s touch.

 

* * *

 

Out of everyone in the pack Nia remains the hardest one to get along with, surprise surprise. Although the other werewolves aren’t exactly friendly, none of them looks super resentful to be around him. Four and a half weeks have passed and Nia still treats him like an annoying bug whenever she appears at the restaurant—and doesn’t even try to hide it.

Tonight is no exception. They finish a little early, as they usually do on Wednesdays, and Nia accompanies him home, walking about ten feet away from him. The first time they walked together Seth tried to make a small talk out of courtesy, and he only got short, snappy replies in return. Now he knows better. Besides, the tense silence isn’t so bad once he got used to it.

“Roman wants you in his office tomorrow,” Nia breaks the silence, pushing Seth off his trail of thoughts. He feels a bit guilty, and at the same time, thankful werewolves can’t read minds. They can’t… can they?

“He’s very busy this week.” She keeps her gaze on the road, not even giving him a glance.

Seth mumbles a quiet ‘yes’, knowing her super hearing will pick it up anyway. He knows where the office is; he drove past it a few times. It’s a big, white, modern building in the other side of the city, close to the hill. Big enough to resemble a hospital. He doesn’t know much about their moon-phases suppressant either, since he’s never been interested in werewolf business. Only that it keeps them in their human form during full moon.

They’ve reached a narrow alleyway, which is the quickest way to Seth’s place, though not the one he normally takes. But for some reasons Nia always chooses this one. He never likes this alleyway, it’s darker compared to the one on the other side of the building, the half-fading fluorescent lamps blinking every three seconds. How can the people who live here stand it?

A passing shadow on the wall on the other side makes him stop, then he sees another one flash past.

 _Fuck, what is that?_ Heart hammering against his ribcage, Seth turns to Nia, and what he sees makes him gasp. Nia’s eyes have turned fully red and she snarls, revealing rows of sharp teeth. Holy shit. Instinctively, Seth steps back. The shadow in front of them moves and two figures emerge from behind the wall. He recognizes them as the redhead Sheamus, and… Joe the traitor. This can’t be good. He glances nervously at Nia.

Her feet are far apart, and she raises both hands in a ready-to-attack stance, unnaturally pointy claws have sprouted from her fingers. Shit, are they gonna fight? Not to underestimate Nia, she fierce, but what’s her chance of overpowering the two of them? He opens his mouth about to remind them about the treaty—and closes it again when he remembers that his big mouth landed him in this mess.

What is he supposed to do? Just stand back and watch?

“Nia, Nia, Nia, always the short- tempered,” Joe speaks. His smooth and velvety voice doesn’t fit the evil smirk that’s splitting his face. “The black _wolf_ of the family. Tell me, how does it feel to be one? Your own family can’t even stand you, and you know it, baby girl.”

Nia’s growls are getting louder as she tramples forward, and Seth finds himself shying away from her. “Shut up, Joe! Shut up! One more word and I’ll bite your head off.”

A hearty laugh escapes Joe, sounding eerily loud in the stillness of the night. It sends a shiver down Seth’s spine. “Now now, your dear brother wouldn’t approve of that, don’t you think? But why should you listen to him. He’s not Dwayne, and never will be.” His gaze wanders from her to Seth, causing him to freeze. Joe’s smirk evolves to a full grin, just as evil. “You don’t care about this human, Nia. You never like his kind. Why do you bother to protect him for an alpha who doesn’t deserve your loyalty?” Next to him, Sheamus also peers at Seth.

She’s hesitating, even Seth can see it. This Joe is so fucking good. He preys on her insecurities and resentment towards her brother. Then in a split second, it’s like something in Nia snaps and she takes another step forward.

“Don’t you ever dare say the word _loyalty_ again in front of me,” she spits out the word like it’s venomous. “And shut your mouth about Dwayne.”

The next things happen so fast; one moment Joe and Sheamus are still standing in front of them, the next they’re gone and in their places are two big wolves, their glowing eyes stand out despite the blinking fluorescent light. Seth has seen werewolves in their wolf form before, but never this close. They’re damn huge. Bigger than most of the ones he’s seen. Sheamus has a thick, reddish coat resembling the color of his hair, almost like a fox, while Joe’s wolf form is light brown with black accents around his back. If Seth believed in God, this would be the time he started praying.

But before they can make a move, Nia leaps forward, and just like them her human form disappears, replaced by a wolf with a dark brown coat. Her red eyes are glowing furiously when she turns her head for a second, meeting Seth’s gaze. Sheamus and Joe jump almost simultaneously, letting out a threatening howl that makes the hair on the back of Seth’s neck stand up. Nia pounces viciously after them, baring her teeth, and the next thing he knows all three of them are gone.

For some long seconds, Seth is unable to move. He breathes hard as realization is dawning on him. They left him alone in this creepy alleyway. _What the hell just happened?_ Time keeps ticking, maybe minutes have passed, and he’s still completely frozen in his tracks, heart beating at a million miles per hour. What if something happened to Nia? They wouldn’t hurt her, would they? The council wouldn’t—

He jumps when he hears a movement behind him, then turning rapidly around on impulse. He soon wishes he didn’t.

_No. God, no._

The blue eyes of Drew McIntyre are staring into him, bright and burning.

Seth lets out a shaky breath as the alpha steps forward, closing in on him quickly, way too quickly. Somehow, he must’ve regained control of his body because he can feel himself backing away, doesn’t stop until the hard concrete wall presses up against his back. And Drew keeps getting closer. Seth’s heart is pounding so fast he’s afraid it would pop out of his chest.

“Aren’t you a hard one to catch?”

Drew stops right in front of him, looking exactly like Seth remembers, even though he tried not to think about him. It’s as if he’s been burned into Seth’s memory. By force. Hair that’s darker than the night, the smell of his leather jacket, and the blazing fire in his eyes. Their bodies are close, chests almost touching. But not quite.

Seth can only stare at him, breathing hard and fast. This can’t be happening. He was still with Nia ten minutes ago, thinking he was gonna be home safely, because a Bloodline pack wolf was with him. And now he’s face to face with the man who’s taken away his freedom without even getting his hands dirty.

“There are hundreds... thousands other people who would be willing to be your—whatever you want them to be. Why does it have to be me?” he blurts out, before he even realizes.

“I want you. Not those thousands of other people.” Drew’s voice is calm, but the tone is unmistakably resolute. He pauses, letting Seth grasp his words. “But what did you do. You ran away from me to the clutches of _Roman Reigns_. As if his pack would be a threat to mine,” he snorts. “His cousin Dwayne would’ve been a better alpha, but of course Sika Reigns chose his own blood over logic. Old fool.”

That name again... Dwayne. Joe mentioned him earlier and it drove Nia mad.

“I can smell him on you, but just barely. He hasn’t touched you in at least a couple of days,” Drew goes on, pulling Seth out of his brief musing. He still sounds neutral, but the effect is far from calming. “Either he has admirable self control or he’s incredibly foolish for keeping his hands off you.”

Seth swallows, his throat feeling incredibly dry. The last time Roman marked him was three days ago. _What is he gonna do, mark me himself to get rid of the smell?_ The mental image of Drew scent-marking him sends a shiver all over his body. But… not entirely of fear. The thought shocks him and, at the same time, heats up his face.

 _What the—?_ _N_ _o._

Drew McIntyre is the reason why Seth ended up in this mess. He feels nothing for him, except for fear, anger, and disdain. He never had any intention to fraternize with the wolves, and he still doesn’t. Not all of them are bad, that’s true, but none of them have Seth’s best interest at heart. All they care about is themselves and their pack.

Seth draws in another deep breath, steeling himself not to tremble under Drew’s ardent gaze—and to get rid of his treacherous thought. “You can’t harm another werewolf’s—claim,” he croaks and almost flinches. He hates that word with passion; no human should be called a ‘claim’. “The council wouldn’t let you get away with it. You and your pack could be banished from Whitedrift as punishment.”

He didn’t expect Drew to smile, for two dimples to appear on his cheeks, and like before they deceptively soften his face, making him look… breathtaking. Literally.

“Still so brave and foolish,” he says, taking in Seth’s face. His gaze flickers from Seth’s lips back to his eyes, surprisingly tender. “I wouldn’t dream of harming you.”

Seth blinks, forcing himself to break the eye contact and look down… at anything but those consuming eyes. _Remember who he is._ Seth wouldn’t need to make a deal with a wolf pack if it wasn’t for him. He never wants any of this.

Something catches his attention; a little gold pendant in a round shape with the letter ‘L’ engraved in the middle, tied with a thin gold chain around Drew’s neck. It’s small enough that he missed it the first time, and the design is almost too delicate for a rough man like him.

“Haven’t seen a necklace before?”

His gaze jerks up in surprise, meeting Drew’s. “No. It’s just, it doesn’t look like something a man like you would wear.” Yeah that’s right, stall the time, delay whatever Drew is planning to do to him. His only hope is that Nia will be back soon, and in one piece. She’s as tough as nails; she will be okay. Though maybe... it wouldn’t be that bad if she got humbled. Maybe then she wouldn’t be so hell-bent on making Naomi’s life miserable.

Seth flushes as he realizes what he was thinking. _What?_ _No_. As vile as she is, Nia was here to protect him. He looks back up at Drew, pushing the guilty thought away.

The alpha is silent for a moment, looking thoughtful. And Seth doesn’t dare move. “It was my mother’s.”

He didn’t expect to hear that. “Oh. And she...” Seth stops himself. He can guess where this is going, and he doesn’t want to offend Drew and make things worse for himself.

“She died.” Drew’s voice remains neutral, but something flickers in his eyes. Just for a split second, but Seth swears it was there. “When I was a child. I don’t remember her at all.”

He knows he should stop watching, but he can’t look away from Drew’s face. Something that Roman said crosses his mind. Werewolves are still half human, and at the moment Drew looks entirely human. Almost.

It doesn’t last long.

A gasp escapes Seth when Drew lifts a hand, so fast that he didn’t notice until Drew’s fingers cradle his face and his thumb presses against Seth’s lower lip, forcing his mouth to part.

“Don’t look at me like that, little thing. As if I was _good_.” He lets out a smirk, and Seth feels his body shudder. So much for being a fool. “Goodness and I are worlds apart. Let it sink into that beautiful head of yours.” His thumb brushes over Seth’s lip, gentler than he expected, with only the smallest amount of pressure. “I’m going to have you. Neither Roman Reigns or his pathetic, dying pack will be able to stop me.”

Seth’s lips tremble slightly. “You don’t—even know me,” the words barely above a whisper.

The finger stops moving. “I know you more than you think. An orphan child from Ravenshore. Your grandfather is the only family you have left, after you lost your mother and father in a fire when you were fifteen. Such an unfortunate accident.” His eyes bore into Seth’s. “Or is it?”

The words knock the air out of him, sending a violent shudder to his body. _How_ _did_ _he…?_ Panic starting to spread. He’s completely trapped by the wall behind him and Drew’s hard body in front of him. Out of desperation, he places both hands on Drew’s chest, trying to push him away. What a stupid, stupid fool. How could Seth even think that he looked human? He fucking isn’t. He’s a wolf through and through.

Drew steps back, though clearly not because of the strength of Seth’s desperate push. A cruel smile grazes his lips as he lowers his hand from Seth’s face. “I _will_ have you.”

The sound of his footsteps echoes in the alley as he walks away, disappearing behind the far wall two seconds later. After that the only thing Seth can hear is his own ragged breathing.

 


End file.
